Deptford Park Primary School

Deptford Park Primary School Evelyn Street, London, SE8 5RJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher has targeted the school’s work on the correct priorities for development. He provides clear and caring leadership that keeps achievement for all pupils keenly in focus.  From starting points in the Reception class which are below those expected for their age, pupils make good progress so that by the time they leave the school in Year 6, standards are average.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive good support so that they can achieve well.  Pupils’ progress is now accelerating as a result of better teaching. Teachers manage their classes well and good use is made of ICT to help pupils access their work.  Pupils get along very well together and are very respectful of one another’s cultures and beliefs. Their behaviour is good and the school is a safe environment.  The school’s caring atmosphere promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

development. The school is a happy and calm community.  Middle leaders take their responsibilities seriously so that the rate of pupils’ progress is showing significant improvement.  The governing body and the school’s senior leaders have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They have acted with rigour to improve the quality of teaching and achievement since its last inspection.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet consistently outstanding over time.  Pupils are not given enough time to work independently of the teacher as lesson introductions are frequently too long and the pace of teaching not swift enough.  Some elements of teaching, such as the feedback given to pupils during lessons and through teachers’ marking, are not yet consistent.  The work of senior leaders and governors needs to ensure that pupils who are eligible for additional support, receive it in a focused way and evaluate its impact.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 41 lessons or parts of lessons. Eighteen of these were jointly observed with the headteacher and senior leaders.  Inspectors heard pupils read and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors were not able to examine the responses to the on-line Parent View survey as these were too few in number; they did take account of a recent parental survey undertaken by the school. They also took into account the outcomes of a staff survey.  A discussion was held with two members of the local authority’s advisory staff.  One formal discussion was held with a group of pupils.  Inspectors examined records of pupils’ progress and other school documentation, including safeguarding information.  Inspectors held a discussion with four members of the governing body.  Inspectors held discussions with parents and carers of pupils at the school and with members of the school staff.

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Inspection team

Tim McLoughlin, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Michael Buist Additional Inspector Alastair McMeckan Additional Inspector Stephanie Rogers Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an above-average sized primary school with a rising roll. At the time of the inspection, there were four forms of entry in Year 3 and Year 4, two forms of entry in Year 6 and three forms in all other year groups. There are about equal numbers of boys and girls.  Most pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds. The largest groups are from Black African and Black Caribbean and any other Black backgrounds.  A large number of pupils speak English as an additional language, with many at an early stage of English fluency.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and the children of service families) is above average. At this school, most of this group is made up of pupils eligible for free school meals and a small number of looked after

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Information about this school

children.  The number of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  The proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school at times other than the usual start of the year is high.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by:  making sure that teachers have consistently high expectations of all pupils, especially the more able  ensuring that approaches to marking and feedback are consistent and effective throughout the school in helping pupils to improve  sharpening and shortening the introductions in lessons so that more time is allowed for group and individual work.  Further strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that effective use is made of the pupil premium funding to target interventions more precisely and then evaluate provision thoroughly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and enter Year 1 with the skills needed to access the more formal work done in Key Stage 1. Taking into account their different starting points, the proportions of pupils making expected and better progress in English and mathematics over time compares favourably with national figures. As a result, by the end of Year 6, the majority of pupils now attain standards that are above average.  The rate of progress has increased steadily since the school’s last inspection and is being maintained in 2013. The most dramatic improvement has been made in standards in reading, as measured at the end of Year 1; pupils apply a wide range of skills to good effect. Pupils enjoy reading widely and often. Younger pupils make a very good start with their reading skills, due to the very good teaching of the sounds that letters make (phonics) and this creates a solid

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The achievement of pupils is good

foundation for further learning.  Pupils’ progress increases as they move through Key Stages 1 and 2. The high mobility of pupils is a factor and this strong rate of progress relates closely to the length of time pupils attend Deptford Park. The progress of groups is now more even and previous underachievement of pupils entitled to the pupil premium has been reversed. Pupils new to the school are well supported and data shows that the longer they remain, the better they achieve. Pupils of minority ethnic backgrounds do well when compared with national figures, especially Black African pupils.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress as a result of the targeted support they receive. Pupils who join the school with English as an additional language make very rapid progress.  The funding the school receives for those pupils eligible for the pupil premium is used to offer

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The achievement of pupils is good

these pupils extra support with their learning through the use of small group work and individual tuition. Families have also benefited from help to gain access to additional services outside of school. This approach has been more successful than previously so that the attainment gap with their peers previously seen with this group of pupils has been eradicated. In mathematics and English, this additional input means that these pupils are making approximately five terms’ progress in the space of each three-term year.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a very strong feature of the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is now consistently good, with some emerging examples of outstanding practice. This has led to rates of pupil progress rising since the last inspection and pupils achieving better. Teachers manage their classes very well.  Teaching in mathematics and English is very strong because teachers make the lessons challenging and interesting for pupils. For example, in an outstanding English lesson in Year 2, pupils were using a range of source material to busily research and write expanded noun phrases to describe animals which interested them. Their work was very well pitched to ensure that all pupils could take part and included the use of ICT and translation software for a new entrant to the class at the early stages of learning English.  In the Nursery and Reception classes, there is good provision with some very good opportunities to experiment with writing and mark-making within a context. Children in the Reception class

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The quality of teaching is good

were studying the book ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch’ and were introduced to reading and writing in a lively and enjoyable way. The interest was clear to see as they drew pictures of lighthouses whilst others recounted the story as they made sandwiches for a class picnic. They make good progress in all areas of their learning and adults work well with children in developing these basic skills.  Reading is taught very well throughout the school and children in the Early Years Foundation Stage get off to a very good start in learning phonics.  There are some clear examples of effective marking of pupils’ work when it provides clear feedback on how to improve, and targets set by teachers are made clear to pupils. This is not yet consistently done in all year groups and so its impact is not always as thorough as should be the case.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are taught well through an

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The quality of teaching is good

effective mix of individual and class support. Adults who work closely with these pupils make an important contribution to their good learning.  The pace of learning has improved since the previous inspection but there are still occasions when there is not enough time for pupils to work on their own or in groups. In addition, some teachers tend to try and control learning for pupils too tightly rather than allow them to think for themselves to explore wider possibilities and so provide richer opportunities for learning; this is particularly true for the school’s more able pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attitudes to school are positive, demonstrated by the pupils’ good behaviour in lessons and assemblies and in the sensible way they conduct themselves around the school. Pupils say that behaviour is typically like this and set high standards for one another. They are proud of their school and say that the teachers are kind and help them do the best they can in their work.  School leaders work effectively with a small number of pupils who are at risk of exclusion and, with the help of the family liaison worker, support their families to improve their behaviour.  Attendance is now above average. It has improved considerably since the last inspection and continues to be an area of focus for leaders at the school. Pupils are aware of the need to attend school regularly and they take this responsibility very seriously. Their punctuality has also improved because of the school’s actions.  Pupils behave well in lessons, although when lesson introductions are too long, some find it

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

difficult to maintain interest and they become restless. Inspectors found no evidence of misbehaviour in the playground but the school had kept records to show that it had acted appropriately when there were minor incidents. The school follows up such events effectively.  Instances of bullying are carefully recorded. These are few in number and pupils feel that the school is a peaceful community. The school promotes an understanding of a range of religious faiths and cultures and promotes an atmosphere of tolerance and appreciation of individuality.  Parents and carers feel that behaviour is good and well managed by the school. A small number expressed concern about how the school deals with bullying, though inspectors found no evidence to support their concerns and pupils were overwhelmingly positive about their experiences at the school.  Pupils are aware of the dangers they face in society and have a sound understanding of issues

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The leadership and management are good

 Clear and consistent leadership by the headteacher has enabled the school to make significant improvement since its previous inspection. Teaching and achievement are now better and the issues identified at that inspection have been addressed. This, together with an accurate view of its effectiveness, indicates that the school has strong capacity to continue to improve.  The headteacher manages teachers’ performance well and ensures there is a good match between the quality of teaching and pay. Teachers have challenging targets linked to the Teachers’ Standards and to pupil performance.  Since the last inspection, middle leaders have developed a very good understanding of what is expected of them. They are now effectively using their increasing expertise in the school to support the development of others and helping to check that teaching is of a consistently high quality.  The school offers a creative curriculum, which pupils really enjoy. The leadership team have

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The leadership and management are good

correctly identified that ensuring pupils have a very good grounding in their literacy and numeracy skills is a priority. In addition to this, examples of high quality work in the expressive arts are publicly displayed throughout the school, celebrating the pupils’ high standard of work in this area.  The school promotes pupils’ positive behaviour and understanding of the world in which they live through a broad range of experiences. These contribute particularly well to pupils’ social, moral, cultural and spiritual development.  The good progress evident for all pupils, whatever their needs, shows that the school promotes equality of opportunity well and does not tolerate discrimination. The school has used additional funding, through the pupil premium, to employ a range of additional adults. However, leaders and governors have not yet targeted the work of these adults specifically at pupils entitled to

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The leadership and management are good

this support. Once this is in place, they plan to regularly check the impact this provision has had.  All statutory procedures for the safeguarding of children and the vetting of staff are fully in place and reviewed regularly.  The local authority has made a useful contribution to the school’s improvement through its support for work with the middle and senior leadership teams in securing improvements to teaching and learning.  The governance of the school:  The governing body fulfils all its statutory duties effectively and ensures that arrangements for safeguarding pupils are robust. The budget is well managed and governors are perceptive in their discussions about the value of spending decisions and the effect these have on pupil progress. The governing body has made a number of decisions about the spending of pupil premium funding and are in a strong position to accurately assess its impact, though has yet

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The leadership and management are good

to do so. Governors have a good knowledge of the strengths and areas for development and know how well the school is performing in relation to others nationally. Because of this, they offer a good level of support and challenge to school leaders. They work effectively with the headteacher to manage teachers’ performance robustly and have a sound understanding of what the school is doing to reward good teaching.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 100678 Local authority Lewisham Inspection number 400421

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 611 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steve Lee Headteacher Ken Johnson Date of previous school inspection 26 November 2009 Telephone number 020 8692 4351 Fax number 020 8694 0116 Email address info@deptfordpark.lewisham.sch.uk guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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